Job Assignments

I don't know the total number of pilot slots, but my son said everyone in his squadron received their first choice except one person who received his second choice (he had marked his first and second choice "without preference.") And one person received "needs of the Air Force." Wooohoooo! Congrats firsties!
 
Our firstie son had the same story about his squadron CS24 (Phantoms). Only about three cadets did not get their first choices and those cadets got their second choices. Congratulations to all the firsties for all their hard work...and their patience as they had a very long wait to find out their jobs!
 
My DS in CS27 received a pilot slot with 12 pilots total, so about 50%. He said most got first choice.
 
CS04 had all firsties get first choice except one. Roughly half were pilots.
 
Congratulations to all the firsties tonight. Sounds like the VAST majority got their first choices.

Makes me wonder what all the concern was about.

I am not an academy grad but reading these posts makes it seem like everyone got their first choice except for a handful of others who got their second choice. Is this the norm?

I understand the wait was much longer than normal but in the end... no big surprises (or so it seems).
 
I am also not military so do not know if this year is the norm or not, but we heard through our parents club that about 2/3's got their first choice, with the remaining 1/3 getting their 2nd choice (except for a handful of cadets that got "needs of the air force" assignments). Obviously not "official" information, but thought I would pass it along.
 
My son said that in his squadron, all but two got their first choice (and those two got their second choice). Just adding to the anecdotal data here. :wink:
 
marciemi said:
My son said that in his squadron, all but two got their first choice (and those two got their second choice). Just adding to the anecdotal data here. :wink:
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Thanks for the anecdotal data!:wink:
Now what AFSC did your son get?
 
Pilot slots

In a meeting with the Superintendent, Dean, etc. just prior to Parents' Weekend, we were told 475 firsties put "Pilot" as their first choice, and there were 461 Pilot slots to give out. Not sure if those numbers held up, but that was the projection at the time. (Very thankful our son got one of those slots...)
 
It's unofficial, but DS said he heard there were 456 pilot slots total. So close to what was in previous post.
 
What happens if a Firstie

Requests, Qualifies for, and Receives a Pilot Slot. Later it is decided either by him or her, or by the AF, that he or she isn't cut out for success as a Pilot, what happens then? Ex: if someone is in Management, get a Pilots slot and accepts it but doesn't make it, can they opt then to pursue another 'job' in their Major? I would hope you don't get busted out of the AF, but would like to understand historically what has happened in the past. Thank you.
 
It has happened in the past, that they are given their walking papers. There is a lot placed into the equation, and one part is the AF budget.

Right now, for AFROTC 14 they are cutting loose non-rated cadets even before they are to commission come May.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/articl...ates-offered-release-from-service-commitments

Not only that, but if you read in the article, the non-rated 13 grads not AD yet are also being given the option to leave with no harm, no foul financial impact. I.E if they were Type1 at Duke, MIT, Notre Dame, GTown, where the bill would be @100K+ in tuition, books, and stipend, they owe nada!

IOWs, nobody knows what it will be like for 15, but yes, they can cut you loose if they need to reduce manpower, and are currently over manned in non-rates AFSC.
~~~ I am saying 15, because for UPT if they bust even 3 months in, they would be FY15, not 14.
 
More recent retention and reclass boards have been much more favorable than in past years where there was a good chance of being cut loose entirely. An Lt that dropped from UPT earlier this summer/fall was reclassed into intel. Another friend of mine that dropped has been given a chance to go to selections for STO. Several others I know have DOR'ed from IFS. To do that, they must feel reasonably confident of reclassification.

Pima said:
It has happened in the past, that they are given their walking papers. There is a lot placed into the equation, and one part is the AF budget.

Right now, for AFROTC 14 they are cutting loose non-rated cadets even before they are to commission come May.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/articl...ates-offered-release-from-service-commitments

Not only that, but if you read in the article, the non-rated 13 grads not AD yet are also being given the option to leave with no harm, no foul financial impact. I.E if they were Type1 at Duke, MIT, Notre Dame, GTown, where the bill would be @100K+ in tuition, books, and stipend, they owe nada!

IOWs, nobody knows what it will be like for 15, but yes, they can cut you loose if they need to reduce manpower, and are currently over manned in non-rates AFSC.
~~~ I am saying 15, because for UPT if they bust even 3 months in, they would be FY15, not 14.
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Buffalo,

I am not disagreeing with you, our DS's classmates, 14-08 were also offered Intel. However, classes at UPT, even if it is not happening at Vance are backing up, and ROTC non-rated are being offered the chance to walk.

It is yr to yr regarding this issue. Look at the infamous 92 RIF. They didn't hit every yr group, it was targeted to a specific yr group. During the RIF, the UPT pipeline basically ended for anyone that wanted fighters.

I am not trying to be Janie Raincloud, just trying to say, it does happen. The old cliche is true regarding the AF. Timing matters. 1992 was bad times, but 3 yrs later the AF was short of pilots; they were willing to waive age. O4's, had the highest promotion rate in yrs. For them timing was great!

As much as you are saying 15-02 is okay, the problem is the AF is looking to reduce Intel, Maintenance, Cyber, etc. for FY14. Not your yr. group of FY13. Nobody knows for sure how it will impact come 16-02 for UPT wash backs, aka 14 grads.

OBTW, Bullet's crew mate at FTU was an AFA grad. He was FEB and handed his walking papers. This was not a student at IFS, UPT, IFF, it was FTU. Part of it was timing. The AF was already reducing numbers by that point, and had no need to offer him a non-rated job, because his yr group was the targeted yr group.

Just like if you look at how the AFA cut appointments back in 11 from 1650 to 1350.

Timing.
 
I definitely agree that it is year to year and timing matters. Just a few years ago when I was deciding if I wanted to fly or go non-rated, the word was you drop from IFS/UPT, there was a very good chance you would not be retained. I'm just trying to make the point that more recently that has not been the case. Lt's that have DORd have been retained and reclassified into reasonably preferable AFSCs. Of course, you are right that the present is not necessarily an indicator of future personnel trends.

Pima said:
Buffalo,

I am not disagreeing with you, our DS's classmates, 14-08 were also offered Intel. However, classes at UPT, even if it is not happening at Vance are backing up, and ROTC non-rated are being offered the chance to walk.

It is yr to yr regarding this issue. Look at the infamous 92 RIF. They didn't hit every yr group, it was targeted to a specific yr group. During the RIF, the UPT pipeline basically ended for anyone that wanted fighters.

I am not trying to be Janie Raincloud, just trying to say, it does happen. The old cliche is true regarding the AF. Timing matters. 1992 was bad times, but 3 yrs later the AF was short of pilots; they were willing to waive age. O4's, had the highest promotion rate in yrs. For them timing was great!

As much as you are saying 15-02 is okay, the problem is the AF is looking to reduce Intel, Maintenance, Cyber, etc. for FY14. Not your yr. group of FY13. Nobody knows for sure how it will impact come 16-02 for UPT wash backs, aka 14 grads.

OBTW, Bullet's crew mate at FTU was an AFA grad. He was FEB and handed his walking papers. This was not a student at IFS, UPT, IFF, it was FTU. Part of it was timing. The AF was already reducing numbers by that point, and had no need to offer him a non-rated job, because his yr group was the targeted yr group.

Just like if you look at how the AFA cut appointments back in 11 from 1650 to 1350.

Timing.
Click to expand...
 
pointguard,

I think you can see that the only answer anyone can give is you won't know until you are in the pipeline.

As I stated earlier, for Class of 13 and 14 that were/are going to be commissioned via ROTC with non-rated AFSC, including Intel and Maintenance, are currently being offered the option to walk. The total number they are trying to cut is @500. 200 for 13 that have yet to report, and 300 for 14. The problem for the 13's is even though 14 is cutting more in numbers, many of the 13's by now have reported, thus the option to walk for them is off the table, and those waiting to report will be cut at a higher % than the 14 yr group. This may be a sign that the AF currently has no more room in those careers, which may impact the rated world.

In the end you just have to enter UPT with the belief that you will get winged @55 weeks after starting.

OBTW, to show you how quickly it can flip. When Bullet was starting UNT, some pilots that washed out were given the option to go to UNT, they weren't forced into a non-rated, or out, however within 18 months, they were letting them out of the AF even if they were only a few weeks from going operational in their airframe.
~~~ If you look at what the AF is predicting in the next decade (pilot shortage), you will probably see many CSOs request to xtrain to pilot. If the AF needs more pilots, the risk is lower to take the young CSOs, thus, that means there will be more CSO slots opening up. This brings it back to when Bullet started. They may decide it is best to offer the washed out UPT students UNT and not non-rated AFSCs.
 
aglages said:
Thanks for the anecdotal data!:wink:
Now what AFSC did your son get?
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He got his first choice as a Developmental Engineer (Computer). He's heading to grad school (AFIT unless he gets accepted to any of a couple civilian ones he applied to but won't know those until late spring) first, and then to the NRO (National Reconnaissance Office) to work in the field of spy satellites. They're headquartered outside DC but he won't know where he's actually going until after grad school. And then, depending on where it is and the level of security, we (mom and dad), may or may NOT know. ;)
 
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